A few more days passed.
Near a cliff at the northeastern corner of Mount Kila.
Here, there was a forest that stood in stark contrast to the volcanic terrain around it. Akira crouched on the ground, gently brushing his finger over the frost-like powder.
As it stuck to his hand, he could see that the powder had a crystalline structure, white with a hint of red. After careful examination, Akira finally confirmed that this was the Kila Red Volcanic Salt he had been searching for!
This type of salt only exists near Kila Volcano and is extremely rare! It is the most uncommon ingredient in the region! Ordinary cooking doesn't even have the privilege of using this salt—it's essentially reserved for Nen users when they prepare dishes.
Legend has it that this salt has white crystals on the outside, while inside flows a red liquid resembling magma! Upon consuming it, one first experiences a unique salty flavor, followed by an involuntary warmth spreading through the body.
It's like eating a spicy hotpot—comforting and invigorating, but without the spiciness. It seems this thing is quite popular among certain high-ranking officials and nobles. They can enjoy the sensation of warmth and comfort from within without enduring the spiciness.
Those people love things like this—no side effects, yet capable of bringing immense pleasure. The only thing to note is that if an ordinary person consumes too much in a short time, they might start bleeding uncontrollably.
Akira turned his head and saw that the opposite hillside had even more Kila Red Volcanic Salt than here. However, a seemingly insurmountable cliff stood in his way. But Akira had no intention of asking Gardevoir to teleport him across.
"Whoosh!"
Akira formed a circle with his fingers and let out a sharp whistle. The shadows of the trees in the forest began to stir, and the ground trembled slightly.
Moments later, a massive dog with bright orange fur, adorned with black stripes and a fluffy coat, burst out of the forest. Its speed was astonishing, like a flash of orange light!
"Woof, woof!" The dog quickly ran to Akira side, its eyes curved and its mouth upturned, clearly happy. It rubbed its large head against Akira face, tickling him.
"Alright, alright, Arcanine, stop."
That's right—the Pokémon Akira had summoned was none other than Arcanine, which he had nurtured at Kila Volcano! Finding the Kila Red Volcanic Salt was largely thanks to Arcanine keen sense of smell.
Name: Arcanine
Ability: Intimidate
Type: Fire
Strength: A
Skills: Extreme Speed, Flamethrower, Flare Blitz, Flame Wheel...
After being enhanced through restrictions and vows, Arcanine had reached the same A-level as Gardevoir. Although the Pokémon he nurtured wasn't the White Kyurem he had imagined, Akira could understand.
After all, even the Samok Desert only yielded a pseudo-legendary like Tyranitar—there was no way Kila Volcano could produce a legendary Pokémon.
Akira speculated that legendary Pokémon might only be obtainable in the Dark Continent! The highest level he could nurture across the six continents was at the pseudo-legendary tier.
Akira vigorously "ruffled" Arcanine fluffy head, his face brimming with joy.
As a child watching Pokémon, Akira had always envied Officer Jenny, who almost always had a Growlithe or Arcanine by their side.
After all, Arcanine, as a legendary Pokémon, was far from being a common sight. In the Pokémon world, encountering a Growlithe in the wild is as rare as encountering a Gardevoir or a Lucario. Back on Earth, he had always loved dogs, but due to his low income and concerns about the hassle of raising one, he had never made up his mind to get a dog.
Ironically, it was in the world of Hunter x Hunter that his wish was unexpectedly fulfilled.
The Kila Red Volcano Salt was indeed extremely rare. It took Akira several days of searching to find it, and he owed much of his success to the newly acquired Arcanine.
He wasn't disappointed about not getting a Legendary Pokémon. On the contrary, he was quite satisfied. Who wouldn't love a big, fluffy dog that you could ride? If it had been a Legendary Pokémon, he would have been startled.
A pseudo-Legendary like Tyranitar already falls into the A-rank category, so a true Legendary would have to be S-rank, right? And then, with the enhancement of Nen vows and restrictions... it could reach SS-rank!
According to Akira estimation, the ceiling for the entire Six Continents is S-rank.
Perhaps only the Chimera Ant King, after devouring the Royal Guards, could reach SS-rank! At the same time, there's one person Akira believes could very well be in the SS-rank category. That person is—Don Freecss!
Don Freecss is the ancestor of Ging and Gon. Over 300 years ago, he ventured alone into the Dark Continent and wrote the "East" volume of "Journey to the New World." The "East" volume is circulated across the Six Continents, but unfortunately, those unaware of the truth of the world see it as nothing more than a fanciful storybook.
Only a handful of people know that what's written in it is likely true!
Eventually, it was discovered by the V5, and the higher-ups of the V5 Navigation Bureau decided to hide the book, keeping it from the public.
Logically, if there's an "East" volume, there should be a "West" volume, but no one has ever seen it. According to Ging speculation, the "West" volume is either lost, or Don Freecss simply didn't want to write it anymore, or perhaps he's still writing it but hasn't finished.
In any case, as someone who could explore the Dark Continent alone and still have the leisure to document his adventures, Don Freecss strength is undoubtedly extraordinary! Akira believes that Don Freecss is likely still wandering somewhere in the Dark Continent!
It's true what they say, dragons beget dragons, phoenixes beget phoenixes, and the sons of rats know how to dig holes. The Freecss family talents are terrifyingly high.
As the ancestor, Don Freecss is a formidable figure who can roam the Dark Continent for years. Ging Freecss, in his prime, is one of the world top five Nen users and will eventually venture into the Dark Continent.
Although Gon is still young, judging from the original story where he tapped into his future potential, instantly transforming into his adult form to defeat Neferpitou, his future achievements will likely be no less than his father Ging.
However, countless fans probably won't get to see Gon grow up normally to that point.
After all, Kurapika has been stuck on that damn ship for years and still hasn't gotten off...
But now that he's in this world, Akira has the chance to witness that moment firsthand.
Maybe he could even add some excitement to Gon quest to find his father, like using Gardevoir Teleport to send Ging right in front of Gon when he's not paying attention?
Just thinking about that scene makes him laugh.